Push data to Cube directly from your spreadsheet to update and democratize source data for accurate reporting and forecasting. The next time you or your team needs to use that data, it can be fetched or pulled into your spreadsheet using the Spreadsheet App.
Publishing basics
Publishing from the Spreadsheet App pushes the data you've selected to the cloud to be organized and saved. Understanding how publishing works and the rules is necessary for smooth publishing.
What happens when you Publish
Once you publish, your data is saved to Cube and available across your workspace. If you need to reverse a publish, you can undo it from the Spreadsheet App, the Audit Trail, or a Web Report as long as the data you published hasn't been changed by another publish, import, or system event. Learn more about how to undo a publish in Cube. Otherwise, be sure your spreadsheet and data are ready before you publish.
Note: Mapped dimension members can't be published over. Scenarios that use data imported from your source system are protected by Actuals write protection and can only be modified by Cube Admins. Learn more about write protection.
Publish only to child dimension members and editable scenarios
Because data is stored at the child dimension member level (read more about dimensions), only child dimensions can receive data. Other dimension members, like parents and those sourced from formulas or tags, calculate their value from child dimensions and, therefore, cannot be published to.
Attempts to publish to other dimensions will result in an error message like the one below:
Learn more about our data model.
Also, confirm the scenario you’re publishing to isn't write-protected or blocked. For example, Cube won't replace your actuals data and secures it against changes using write protection. This prevents accidental overwriting by publishers. Your team can also block scenarios from being overwritten to maintain version control, like when comparing estimated budgets versus actual budgets.
Cube will produce an error message if you attempt to publish to a scenario that isn't editable.
Publishing can be limited by data access group or range permissions
User permissions play a crucial role in data publishing within Cube. Users need appropriate data access group permissions and range-specific publish access to ensure secure updates and control. This safeguards your data and activates the publish function in the Spreadsheet App. Cube prioritizes data security, so ensuring users have the right permissions is key for seamless publishing. Without the correct permissions, the publish button in the Spreadsheet App will be inactive.
Learn more about the best practices for publishing.
How to publish
Ready to start pushing your data to Cube from your workbooks? Learn the steps and options for publishing below.
Define a range
First, create an active range in your sheet. You can select a pre-formatted range, build one from your dimensions in the Cube Workspace, or open an existing template.
Then you can publish from the Spreadsheet App in a few ways:
- Publish data all in a range. Example: Headcount planning
- Publish only certain cells within a range. Example: Salary changes
- Publishing additional details with your data. Example: Transaction codes or memos
Publish all data in a range
Publishing all data in the defined range is helpful when changing a lot of data at once, such as with headcount planning.
1. Confirm that the active range does not include parent, formula, or write-protected scenario dimensions.
2. Make the changes in appropriate cells; under Publish > Data, select the Publish Data button.
3. Communicate the context of changes in the audit trail by including a message in your publish using the text box.
4. Select the Publish Data button to execute the publish. If the publish was successful, a green confirmation notification will appear in the Spreadsheet App.
Publish only certain cells within a range
If you only make a few changes to your data, such as with salary changes, you can publish specific cells within the larger range you've defined.
1. Highlight the cells you want to publish within the existing range.
Learn more about building a range if you haven't selected your range already.
2. Under Publish > Data, check the box next to Use selected area to publish only the cells highlighted.
3. Add a message if you would like to communicate the context in the audit trail.
4. Select the Publish Data button to execute the publish. If the publish was successful, a green confirmation notification will appear in the Spreadsheet App.
Publishing additional details with your data
If you want to include additional attributes or the details you see when drilling down into your data, use the Set Attributes function within the Publish section of the Spreadsheet App. Learn more about using attributes to publish line-level or transaction-level details.
Learn more about using the Drilldown feature.
Publishing multiple ranges at once
When you're working in a workbook with several ranges, like a model split across tabs by location, function, or planning area, you can publish them all in a single click instead of publishing each one in sequence.
When to use multi-range publish
Multi-range publish is built for workbooks where ranges live across multiple tabs or are organized by planning owner. Common examples:
- Models with one tab per region, entity, or business unit
- Plans where Headcount, Opex, Capex, and Revenue each live in their own range
- Any workbook where you've historically published 3 or more ranges back-to-back
If you're working with a single range, the standard publish flow described above is unchanged.
How to publish multiple ranges
- Open the Cube Spreadsheet App and go to the Select section.
- In the range dropdown, check the boxes next to the ranges you want to publish. You can select ranges from any tab in your workbook.
- Open the Publish section. The Publish button now displays the number of ranges you've selected, for example "Publish 3 Ranges."
- Add a message in the text box to describe the changes. This message applies to all ranges in the batch and appears in the audit trail.
- Click the Publish button. The batch begins processing in the background.
You can navigate to any other section of Cube, close the spreadsheet, or start another task while the batch completes. You don't need to keep the Spreadsheet App open.
Pre-publish validation
Before the batch starts, Cube checks each range. A range will be flagged if:
- You don't have publish permission on it
- Your data access scope doesn't cover all cells in the range
- The range includes a parent, formula, or write-protected dimension member
- Note: The the publish can still continue, the above cells will be skipped and called out in the system email.
- The range targets a write-protected scenario
Flagged ranges are shown to you before the batch runs so you can deselect them or fix the issue.
Confirming currency conversion
If any of the selected ranges is in a non-base currency, Cube shows a confirmation modal before the batch runs. The modal lists each sheet and its ranges with a checkbox for each one. Confirm which ranges should have currency conversion applied, then continue.
Batch limit
You can publish up to 50 ranges in a single batch. If you select more than 50, Cube will ask you to reduce the selection before the batch can run.
What happens if one range fails
A failure in one range doesn't block the others. Each range is processed independently:
- Ranges that succeed are written to Cube
- Ranges that fail keep their prior data in Cube unchanged
- The audit trail and email summary show the result for each range with the specific reason for any failures
Reviewing batch results
Audit trail in the Spreadsheet App. The batch appears as a single "Data Published" event. Expand it to see every range in the batch with a green check for success or a red X for failure. Click on a failed range to see the reason.
Audit trail in the Web Workspace. The batch is grouped under one event header with your shared change message. Expand to see every range, sheet, and status in one place.
Email summary. You'll receive one email per batch with one of three outcomes:
- All ranges succeeded
- Partial success, with the successful and failed ranges listed
- All ranges failed, with the reason for each
Failed ranges in the email include the specific reason and a link to support resources.
Undoing a multi-range publish
Undo works the same way it does for a single-range publish. Each range in the batch can be undone individually from the audit trail or a Web Report, as long as the data you published hasn't been changed by another publish, import, or system event since.
Learn our recommended best practices for publishing.
If you're receiving errors when publishing, investigate what might be going wrong.